ORIGINAL: Rick James
For the guys that don't think harvesting does and a closer balance will create more and bigger bucks, can you explain why I saw the following on my property? I posted this on another thread. I'm really curious to know what people think about this, and if maybe it's due to some sort of outside influence that I'm not seeing or thinking of that has caused this?
In 2005, I hunted a total of approx 96 hours on stand at my place in PA. In that timeframe I saw (fawns removed from the numbers)eleven different 1.5+ y/o does, and three different1.5+ y/o bucks. We killed 3 does and no bucks on the property that year. I saw one animal that may have been 2.5 years old, the other bucks were 1.5.
In 2006, I hunted a total of approx 96 hours on stand at my place in PA. In that timefram I saw (fawns again removed from the numbers) seven different 1.5+ year does, and five different 1.5+ y/o bucks. We killed 3 does, and 1 buck on the property. 2 of the bucks were probably 2.5, the rest were 1.5. There was sign of other buckswe did not see that were probably 3.5+, no evidence though.
In 2007, I hunted a total of approx 88 hours on stand at my place in PA. in that timeframe I saw (fawns removed from the numbers) seven different 1.5+ year old does, andeight different 1.5+ year old bucks. We killed 3 does and 1 buck on the property. 4 of the eight different bucks were 2.5 y/o deer @ 100" or better, and 2 of those 4 older deer were at least 3.5+. Previously we had only averaged maybe 1 deer per season at best sighted at 100" or better.
No one has a response to this? We have a lot of theory on this thread, but I've actually practiced something here showing that harvesting does seems to have directly affected things in a positive manner on my property. Iam very open to hearing if there are opinions on why I've seen the results I have, and why the harvesting of does hasn't helped here to produce these results.
I'm not saying that harvesting these does was the only reason I've seen what I've seen here, but I do think it was one of the key ingredients to our results in 3 short years. If you think otherwise though and have a good explanation as to why the harvesting of does didn't help with these results, I'm open to hearing why..........as long as it's in a constructive manner.